Masterchef Australia – It’s Time To Leave ….

by Reality Raver

“I’ve never had truffles before,” said Kate. “Never?” said George looking shocked. Really George they are not like potatoes both in supply and cost. No surprise she has not tasted them, as they can’t be microwaved…..

Anyway I have to confess I feel a bit mixed about Kate’s elimination, up until now she has provided at least 20% of the entertainment value of the show.

Tonight’s pressure test was to cook Peter Gilmore from his restaurant Quay -Poached Free Range Chicken with Black Truffle and Garden Vegetables. I thought it was tough considering it was the first bottom three pressure test.

I really liked Peter Gilmore as a TV talent, and if they ever think of doing an Australian version of Hell’s Kitchen they should consider this guy. He seemed to have a cheeky sense of humour, combined with the ability to scare the living shit out of you. Also you could tell he was a perfectionist.

Hopefully he will be back on later in the series. I also like the way he got to sit on the judging panel to assess their dishes.

It was a difficult dish with techniques and ingredients that they were not familiar with.

Carrie who seriously needs to relax. Her tears and her earnest “I want to be a chef” mantra is starting to get irritating. Kate may not be able to cook but she showed some facial expressions.

Fiona should have just stayed because she did not break down and cry.

Kate was quick in prepping the dish, but perhaps trying to emulate her hero, last year’s winner Julie Goodwin was her downfall. She kept wrapping Glad Wrap around and around the chicken. Therefore it did not cook in the 40 minutes she had it in the water bath. By the way loved the water bath, you just know in one challenge Johnathan is going to use it to sous vide something.

Her chicken was raw and not even 5 minutes in the oven was going to salvage it. The judges could not even taste it. Kate said “This is the best I could give in 90 minutes under extreme pressure” – yes we have all heard of that excuse before Kate.

Carrie was criticised for lack of truffle butter taste (it had run out because she had gashed the chicken skin), and also for undercooking the mini vegetables.

Fiona got high praise from Matt Preston “Absolutely bang on” he said.

I was waiting for Matt Preston to make some quip about Fiona trying to set the kitchen on fire with the Handee paper towels, but he didn’t.

It was no surprise Kate went, and as she drove off she said “Mark my words Melbourne there is going to be a new cafe and it is going to be owned by me.”

This Cafe ‘Diversity’ has been put on hold while she does a commercial cookery course, but she has opened a catering business called “A Spoon Full Of Katering”.

The future? She said “I definitely have a few objectives – I’m thinking of going back to teaching for a bit and seeing what other outlets open for me. I’d like to do Cultural and food tours of Melbourne, and my objective in three to five years is to open a food outlet.

In the Channel Ten press release Kate said Johnathan was yelling out a lot in the challenge to Fiona.

She said “Jonathan was actually really distracting during the challenge, shouting help down at Fiona, I actually shouted at him to stop – I did feel like I wasn’t being supported.”

At least the Fiona and Carrie could take comfort that their fellow contestants were happy to see them come back in the house not like last week when there was stunned silence when Johnathan walked back in instead of Devon.

Oh and by the way it looks like a fun house did you see how full the wine glasses were?

Who does she want to win the series? “I’d love to see Courtney win the competition as I think she tries her best, has an excellent personality and has creativity. However, I think Marion is very meticulous and good at what she does so she could win, plus Callum is hugely talented for someone so young.”

I really liked the fact that Peter Gilmore tried to pre-empt the tears right from the start with Carrie, and that he told her in the judging that she had to stop being so emotional. Advice the other judges should have been handing out from the start. (Okay, I know there are people who enjoy the drama, but this has been painful to watch.)

Kate did leave me with the biggest laugh from the series so far, though, when she commented that she might be in trouble since her chicken wasn’t standing up and wasn’t cooked. D’ya THINK?

The judging deliberations are still as painful as they were last year. Why ask the contestants to articulate their dreams before telling them the verdict? And there was no real drama – the “raw chicken” had been featured in the promo and no cooking show worth its salt could, well, put somebody through cos they salted their vegies even though they plated raw chicken.

I did not watch today’s pressure test, RR, but I think Kate leaving the show will improve MasterChef. Yay to all!

If 90 minutes weren’t enough for her to prepare a decent Peter Gilmore meal, then, how long will her customers wait for a brekkie or lunch meal at her cafe? Probably she would only serve sandwiches, and that would actually take up her whole morning to prepare?

You know I thought I was going to have to cry FOWL (pun intended) because from the. Judges comments, it seemed she was going to get through, raw chicken or not. If that had happened, that would have been the end of MCA for me. They waxed lyrical about the presentation of vegetables but what good is that when the so-called hero of the dish hasn’t even got it’s superman tights on.

I hate the grilling. Elimination shouldn’t not be about what their aspirations, it should be about what’s plated, pure and simple.

Kate may be a lovely person (and I don’t know that) but Masterchef? If Kaye is the standard to aspire to, I might even throw my hat in next year, scary thought as that is.

RR – nice tit bits on the ‘level playing field’ these eliminations are carried out in – Naughty Johnathan, how could you!

Awww Kate, you committed the worst kitchen atrocity known to man, [with the exception of previously mentioned things with eels]. I guess its a case of ‘live by the chicken’ ( admission of fave childhood chicken stodge) – then die by the chicken (chicken sushi – sous vide)
Keilor council is no doubt on red alert for a health inspection at ‘Spoonfull of Katering’

Fiona emerged the little champion, loved her little vignette about taking the plunge now while she’s young and not having all the 30- something regrets and baggage ( which she is steeped in living in the MC house) – clever little chicken

“By the way loved the water bath, you just know in one challenge Johnathan is going to use it to sous vide something.”

So true, RR! Maybe he’ll make a foam, too.

Kate’s plate of vegetables was lovely. If she’d gotten the chicken right, she’d have deserved to stay, and I say that as somebody who was really hoping she’d go before the hour started. The mistake she made was pretty small, even if the results were big. Carrie made two mistakes (chicken skin + uncooked veggies), and Fiona seems to have poor attention to detail (her veggies looked like she tossed a couple of weeds on a plate).

Asking the contestants about their dreams right before they cut one of them just seems cruel.

It surprises me that Carrie keeps saying she wants to work in a commercial kitchen. She doesn’t seem to handle pressure well at all.

The thing is I can’t say that Kate is a bad cook but she isn’t a chef. I don’t know if that makes sense but I don’t think she has the capabilities like the other contestants to be able to think of inventive and different dishes or something outside her comfort zone. But if the recipe is given to her she’ll be able to cook it. I wasn’t sad to see her leave like I was with Devon but yea, I can’t say that I’m happy she’s gone. Its always a little sad when a contestant leaves no matter how much I think they deserve to be there.

I think Callum has a chance! Although that might be editing. He seems really talented but I’m still going for Marion 😀 WOOH 😀

What Kate needed was a microwave. No wonder she couldn’t cook her chicken properly.

And what annoyed me when they announced she was the one eliminated, was her muttering under her breath “that damn plastic” or words to that effect.

I’m not enjoying MC so much this year – I think it’s that there are too many people with delusions of grandeur who keep going on about how MC will change their life – hopefully it improves once the bad cooks are gone and the real talent remains. So I guess tonight was a good start.

Was it just me or was the whole concept of this elimination challenge fundamentally flawed? The judges seemed to be saying that it was such a step up from last year’s challenges (which, yeah, having to a dish from one of the country’s top chefs is always going to be more challenging than a sticky toffee pudding, one of the simplest desserts known to man) butthis was the bottom three. They couldn’t cook their own invented dishes particularly well, so this seemed like a case of “run before you walk”.

It was the right result, but the wrong challenge.

I do wish the judges would stop implying that those who fail at the challenge dish will be eliminated, because they are all going to fail at a dish like this, it’s just the worst failure who will be going home…

“I’ve never had truffles, I’ve never used a water bath, I’ve never seen a tiny vegetable, I’ve never used a stove…an oven…whats an oven” blah blah blah blah Kate.
Correct me if I’m wrong but didnt Kate say as she walked off, “Melbourne….the best town in the city “…..isnt melbourne a city ?
Besides that, so glad she’s gone. RR you summed up Carrie perfectly….if she isnt on the verge of a nervous breakdown I dont know who is….it’s becomming very annoying.
Also the commercial break before every single announcement has become so cliche. I know why they do it but at least give us watchers some respect…it’s become so cliche and boring when they do that that I’m often switching stations and taking my time to come back, Give it up channel 10….you are boring us.
Did anyone think the Celeb chef was a smug prick ?
I’m with you Fides…MC isnt doing it for me thus far…yet I’m the turkey who keeps tuning in….ahhhhhh.

Kate the not so great – thank goodness her chicken was uncooked, as I was getting worried for a while that she might pull it off and stay around a bit longer! If the crowd upstairs are allowed to call encouragment and advice, no one seemed to mention to Kate that she was using too much clingfilm, and someone did notice. If you know you are going on Masterchef you should probably have a crash course in various cultural culinary styles, and also research the equipment you might use….?

“If you know you are going on Masterchef you should probably have a crash course in various cultural culinary styles, and also research the equipment you might use….?”
I agree and I think Callum said when the japanese test he had tested the combination of flavours he chose for his dish before entering MC. So it looks like some contestants had done this

Injera – If they had left Kate in it would have been a farce. Also tend to agree the pressure test for what is the “dross” at the stage of the competition was pretty full on.

Eric G – The timeframe meant they were under the pump and left them little time to rectify their mistakes. For example Carrie could not skin another chicken or Kate to actually cook the chicken.

Wurstsemmel – agree the chicken was the hero of the dish, and if that was inedible then off with her head.

Pollywaffle – Agree re: Fiona following her dream etc. If you look at the cross section of the masterchef house it would appear that being a lawyer and teacher are two occupations that have a burn out rate.

Georgina – I rated Carrie and thought she had focus and could have been a dark horse in the competition. But I am starting to change my mind. But maybe if she can avoid elimination and gain some confidence she may come good.

Lydal – would be very surprised if the catering business gets off the ground. But I think she should try and get a job in a cafe, and go from there.

KC – agree re: Kate being a cook, I think she can follow recipes, just does not have much creativity.

Fides – I think we are going to see some great challenges and great cooking this year on the show if the past week is anything to go by.

I like food – I liked Peter Gilmore, I thought he was enjoying himself in his role. At one stage at the judging table I saw him smirk after they had finished commenting on one of the dishes.

Katie – Nah they wouldn’t be pissed off, standard reality TV line each year the “contestants get better” even if they are not!

Fiona – good point agree no one did yell out. Maybe Johnathan was trying to make it up to Fiona after picking her last in the team challenge last week. To be fair if I was on the show I would not have thought about the poaching technique, particularly in cling wrap. I would more be looking at flavours and practising risotto, pasta making, and gnocchi….

Lydal – I think Callum is definitely going to be there in the final week. He is focused.

If you can get booted because you let customers in early, the it would definitely have been a farce to keep someone on who couldn’t even cook chicken all the way through. Did the skin even get a cooking? Or was that raw as well before it hit the oven?

(Masterchef site and show spell it Jonathan, only one “H” in the name.)

I liked this episode. Apart from Carrie crying so much. It was like an episode from last series.

I think the rythym of Masterchef is a bit off so far – because we didnt’ get the audition shows, we don’t really ‘know’ a lot of the contestants, so we are right in amongst the challenges etc, yet still not sure who we want to win them.

Do you think one reason we didn’t get to see auditions was so they could pick a few ‘diverse’ contestants like Kate, without having to show us what she made for the audition?

I’ve been wondering too.
I reckon one of those cob loaves, cut open, and filled with corn and relish dip.
perhaps they thought she was being clever and retro?
Or else they just wanted a ‘down home cooking’ counterpoint to some of the fancipants foodies.

Even though I think the right person left I did feel bad for her… overall I think she would’ve done the best job had she actually got the chicken cooked.. BUT in terms of consistency ‘see ya later’ at least the other two have created some dishes that I couldn’t do myself with leftovers (and I can’t cook!)

Marion and Callum are becoming my two favourites as well… both seem like good cooks, with some modesty. Aaron would be up there too but he’s been hiding the past few eps. Alvin gone down a whole lot of notches from the Italian challenge.

Truffles.. I’ve never had truffles and don’t think i could ever afford to, but to have truffles and one of the top 2 chefs in Australia for this weeks pressure test, with those three in particular, i agree, was just a bit overkill and a waste really. Either the rest of the weeks will be bigger or better or they wanted to start with a bang? So annoyed that 2/3 of the dishes last night wasted the truffles.. !!!! hmmpph!

I can see Keilorian Kate turning up at the auditions with a noice slice, maybe the hedgehog variety, or better still chocolate ripple cake. Agree with Seepi that If they’d left out Kate, the show could come across as a bit uppity and overly truffle-aware, especially with the swag of lawyers aboard.

Kate’s clearly this years homage to Julie, but as they’ve upped the standards from last year, as they keep reminding us, the Mumsy cook ‘s inclusion is rather tokenistic.
BTW, Julie’s cookbook what a croc -, spag bol, aunties sponge – makes Donna Hay look like Heston B.

Pollywaffle – LMAO re Donna Hay as Heston B.
Culinary Boner – wish I’d thought of spending stimulus chq on truffles, hilarious.
This is a fantastic forum. I wonder if the judges can resist taking a peek every now and then?
Kate you little ripper ! How refreshingly ironic she was! I will miss her determination and honest use of microwaves.

akris, perhaps Kate should blame the “makers of the Glad family of products” for her debacle which should be now be officially dubbed the great MasterChef Insulation-Gate Scandal.

I can see A Current Affair asking the ‘hard’ questions now – “Why don’t your products come with warnings that they prevent heat transfer? And how come they trap heat, but not truffle butter? I suggest your executives also have a good look at Bad Boy Bubby to see just how dangersous your products are? Are you aware that Jake nearly with your product?…”

Yeah Glad’s going to get a bad wrap from that episode. Rumblngs too that Handee Towel inc are completely burnt by the experience. The ‘shamwow’ people were thinking about a role but are counting their blessings.

I’m suprised Matty babes did not turn the burning handee paper towel episode into a potential ad for the wretched towels. something like “when you’re hot in the kitchen let handee wipe help you really fire up” or some other utterly crappy advertising jingle. When you are on a good thing never let a chance go by matt!

Wow, people are hating on Julie aren’t they.. was she the best chef/cook last year.. No.. (Justine, Julia and Chris probably was) but I think (from what the judges said) she made delicious, home style meals. I don’t think it’s fair that everyone is comparing her to Kate who did not make one meal even remotely appealing to eat. Also, Julie never started crying even BEFORE a challenge.. she was at least a bit more composed than that.. and I think more worthy winner than Poh (who had more 2nd chances than everyone else!!!)

akris- Julie seems to be making an OK career for herself post-masterchef, so I am with you. Was she the best cook? Probably not. Was she the most reliable cook? I’d say so. No scandles or skeletons in the closet. A good, honest working mum that has the ability to appeal to the people that watched the show and buy cookbooks.
Pollywaffle- I do agree with you, I had a look at the book at Kmart the other day, and it wasn’t exactly thrilling stuff. But a hell of a lot of people buy ‘celebrity’ cookbooks for the celebrity rather than for the recipes. When the Masterchef cookbook came out late last year it sold it’s little orange pants off. But when I flicked through it I thought it was an embarrassment to publishing. It had so obviously been thrown together just to get on the shelves prior to Christmas.

Don’t loose focus people. Masterchef is a business and will cater to the masses every time!